Mike Hursey’s recipe for Braised Pork Cheeks With Chocolate and Rosemary comes from his passion for using local foods.

“During my first trip to Italy in 1995, I was introduced to Slow Food and its mission to support small producers,” he said. “We went every day to the market to buy the freshest ingredients and talk to the small producers. Over the years I have learned more and more of the importance of having chemical-free food. I have found many local producers and made friends of them.”

Cooking 101 is a bimonthly column exclusive to The Star designed to introduce home cooks to basic cooking techniques. The recipe, food styling and photography are a joint project between culinary students and instructors at Johnson County Community College’s Hospitality Management Program.

The chef

Recipe and food styling by Mike Hursey, 67, named “Kansas City Culinarian of the Year in 2013” by the American Culinary Federation of KC. He has been a student at JCCC culinary program since 1995 and loves the program so much he takes a class every semester. He owns and operates Casa Somerset B&B with wife Christine.

Polenta

Makes 6 servings

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup polenta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, water and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Turn heat to low and continue whisking for 5 minutes or until polenta is smooth and creamy.

Spread the polenta on a sheet pan and refrigerate. After it sets, cut polenta into desired shape.

In a baking pan, add squash and sweet potatoes and coat with oil. Roast until tender in 400-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. When tender, add peaches and cook 1 minute more. Add butter to the pan and melt. Add brown sugar and combine with butter. Add pecans and coat with sugar mixture. Sprinkle nut mixture with cheese.

Season pork with salt and pepper. In an oven-proof skillet with a lid, heat olive oil until pan is very hot, then sear pork cheeks. Remove pork and set aside.

Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until softened. Add wine to deglaze pan, stirring up the browned bits sticking to the bottom. Add tomatoes, stock, rosemary and vinegar; simmer mixture until reduced by half.

Add pork back into pan and cover. Place in a 300-degree oven and cook until meat registers 135 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour or until cheeks are fork tender.

Pour 2 cups of pan sauce into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until reduce by half again. With saucepan off the burner, add cocoa and chocolate chips to sauce and allow chips to melt.

To serve, mound polenta on the center of the plate. Add braised pork cheeks and serve roasted squash and sweet potatoes on the side.